HC Deb 29 April 2004 vol 420 cc1209-10W
Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's employment termination policy for locally-engaged members of staff. [166919]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

In Foreign and Commonwealth Office posts overseas the rights of all locally engaged employees are protected by local law.

Every post is required to set out the termination procedure in the Terms and Conditions of Service given to each employee on appointment.

Procedures for terminating employment therefore vary across posts.

Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many employment termination cases of locally-engaged members of staff have been(a) disputed and (b) taken to arbitration; and in how many instances the findings have been in favour of the member of staff. [166921]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Locally engaged employees have the right to take their case to a local court if they have a dispute over the termination of their employment. To obtain details from each overseas post would incur disproportionate costs.

Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much severance pay has been awarded to his Department's locally-engaged members of staff in each year since 1997, broken down by country. [166922]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Severance pay for locally engaged employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is governed according to local law and practice in the country the employee is working. To obtain figures from each overseas post would incur disproportionate costs.